Theft, burglaries up in Bluffton in 2012 while overall crime declines

Bluffton-area crime statistics from 2012 indicate rises in theft-related incidents while the schedule of less-serious felonies and misdemeanors continued its four-year decline.

Robberies were up 10 in 2012 at 14 total while burglaries rose from 59 to 74 and theft grew from 324 to 379, according to year-end statistics. The entire schedule of Part I crimes, which includes more serious felonies such as homicide as well as the theft-related offenses, increased 21 percent to 510.

Bluffton Police Chief Joey Reynolds, who started here in September, said the spike in thefts and burglaries is his “main concern” with the data, adding he plans to address it in a new strategic plan for the department expected in the coming months.

“We are in the process now of digging into these individual cases to look for trends and patterns which may give us a better idea for proactive measures that we can take to address these issues,” he said.

Although Part I crimes, particularly theft-related offenses, spiked in 2012, burglaries topped 75 in 2010 while robberies numbered 13 in 2009. Larceny has steadily risen since 2009, however, with the exception of 2011, when it dropped by one to 324.

While Part I offenses were up, Part II offenses fell 18 percent to 706. That decline helped reduce the overall count by five percent.

Part II offenses run the gamut from fraud-related crimes to so-called “victimless crimes” such as drunkenness, drug violations, prostitution and various misdemeanors.

Since 2009, the most distant year for which data was readily available, Part II crimes have fallen about 30 percent, from 1,001 to 706.

Reynolds said he can’t identify a direct cause of the decline in Part II crimes but called the drop “consistent with the national crime trends.”

“It would be hard for me to speak specifically about Bluffton crime trends from 2009 after only being here four months,” he said. “I do believe the decrease is consistent with the national crime trends.”

He echoed previous statements stressing that crime remains comparatively low and he considers his challenge keeping it that way.

“We enjoy relatively low crime problems in our area, which we in the police department have a challenge to maintain and hopefully reduce,” he said.